Broncos’ 1st-Round Pick Talks About Special Moment With Team Leadership

Jahdae Barron spoke to the Broncos’ draft room on speaker phone to thank them for changing his family’s lives.

Jahdae Barron of Texas speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 27, 2025. Michael Hickey /Getty Images

Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron explained the moment of gratitude he shared with the team for drafting him.

The Broncos selected Barron out of Texas with the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday. Head Coach Sean Payton revealed in his post-draft press conference that when the team called to congratulate him, he asked to be put on speaker phone to thank the entire organization personally. Barron confirmed that he did and thanked the organization for changing his family’s life.

“[There is] a bright energy to him,” Payton said Thursday night. “For the first time—I’ve never had this happen—where he politely asked, ‘when we’re finished, could you guys put me on speakerphone?’ And after he finished with [Broncos co-owner and CEO Greg] Penner, we put him on speaker phone, he thanked everyone in the room for the process and talked about his mother and the journey, and I’ve never had that happen.”

In his introductory press conference Friday, Barron offered more details about the call.

“They changed my mother’s life,” he said. “Any other team, they could have changed my mother’s life. [The Broncos] didn’t pass on me, they took the opportunity and they changed my mother’s life. So I just wanted to thank everybody that was a part of doing that, because it was a collective group. ... It’s family tight here, family oriented here. ... I felt the need in my heart to tell everybody thank you and I’m very appreciative of them. ... It just changed my mom and my sisters’ and my brothers’ [lives] forever. That was big on their part, so I very [much] appreciate them forever.”

Barron credited his mother for raising him, his two brothers, and three sisters, for taking him to various practices growing up, and for challenging him to be better. Barron said that he is going to give back to her by providing for her so that she can be a mother to her younger children.

The Barron selection came as something of a surprise on draft night. The Broncos were widely projected to lean heavily on offense; Payton in particular stressed the importance of finding a versatile “Joker” player at either tight end or running back that can line up in a variety of spots on the field. The Broncos also have an established cornerback room, headlined by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, 2023 draftee Riley Moss, and 2022 undrafted free agent Jaquan McMillian. Even Barron was surprised: Broncos beat reporter Andrew Mason wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Barron only remembered having one Zoom meeting with the Broncos.

Both Payton and general manager George Paton spoke highly of his football IQ, coverage skills, and versatility: Barron played snaps at outside cornerback, nickel corner, and safety. Payton and Paton pointed out that they received a lot of information about Barron from outside sources. Terry Joseph, who worked with Barron as Defensive Pass Game Coordinator and Secondary Coach at Texas from 2021–2024, is the brother of Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph. Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi’s son, Christian, played with Barron.

Barron also has a number of fellow Longhorns in the locker room. Safeties Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke both played at Texas, as did defensive lineman Malcolm Roach and backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

“We are at a max with Texas players,” Payton joked. “I don’t care how good the next Texas player is, if someone comes in, someone’s got to go.”

Barron was graded as a first-round draft pick. He showed elite athleticism at the NFL Combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 35“ vertical, and a 10'3” broad jump. He also posted elite production in his final year at Texas: 67 total tackles, 11 passes defended, a sack, and 5 interceptions.